Question
I’m trying Japanese cuisine for the first time at a restaurant and want to make sure the dish I’m ordering isn’t too spicy. How do I ask the waiter, “Is this dish spicy?” in Japanese?
Japango Editor Team
この料理（りょうり）は辛（から）いですか。
Kono ryouri wa karai desuka?
Is this dish spicy?
This question will help you find out if a particular dish is spicy. Kono means “this”; ryouri means “dish” or “cuisine”; and karai means “spicy.” You can use this phrase in any restaurant when you want to check the level of spiciness of a dish.
If you want to ask about a specific dish instead of generalizing, simply replace kono ryouri with the name of the dish. For example, “Kare wa karai desuka?” to ask specifically about curry. Safe dining!
